setting it right
by shel
Summary: a demon’s attack brings an end to the charmed ones as we know them…
1. Chapter 1

CHARMED 

**"Setting it Right"**

by shel

© september 2002

_disclaimer__:      the charmed ones, cole, and leo, and the rest of the cast of characters we've come to know and love, belong to spelling television, inc. and possible other copyright holders. i intended no true infringement on their copyrights; i only wanted to borrow these marvelous characters for a short time in my own scenarios and hopefully return them no worse for wear; the only things i've gained from this story are the satisfaction and pleasure of having written it and in knowing that others may have enjoyed it too…_

_rating__:              pg-13_

_summary__:       a demon's attack brings an end to the charmed ones as we know them…_

_timeline__:           september 2002 ~ takes into account everything thru the end of season 4…_

_archive__:           please don't without express permission…_

_warning__:           i experimented a bit with this tale so, lest y'all think otherwise, please keep in mind that phoebe and cole are my favorites…._

_notes__:              any copyrights for spirograph belong to kenner/hasbro toys…this tale also contains specific references to people, situations, and/or spells from 'marry go round,' 'we're off to see the wizard,' 'all hell breaks loose,' 'enter the demon,' 'size matters,' 'black as cole,' and 'paige from the past'…please let me know if you enjoyed my tale and why and, if not, why not…and, please, don't bother wasting your time or mine by sending any flames…_

Saturday, September 14, 2002 

            Phoebe awoke with a start and sat straight up in bed.  She drew her hand to her chest as if it could somehow stop the pounding of her heart.  She closed her eyes and drew in a deep breath but the sudden vivid image of Cole's look of resignation, when she vanquished him months before, startled her and she pressed her hand harder against her heart.

            Phoebe blindly grabbed one of her pillows and hugged it tight as she curled into a ball under her covers.  But the thought that it might have been his pillow suddenly crossed her mind and she let out a choked sob.  And, once started, she found she couldn't stop the tears.  So, she buried her face in the pillow and did her best to control herself so as not to alert anyone else in the household to her sobs.  Even after all this time, she still couldn't allow herself to fall apart, not even alone in her own room.   After a few moments, Phoebe had calmed enough to toss the pillow behind her, back to its spot next to hers.  She took several ragged breaths before she rubbed the last tears from her eyes and finally looked at her clock.

            Eight-thirty.  She had actually managed a straight five hours of sleep.  Phoebe couldn't recall the last time she'd had a truly good night's sleep.  One night without waking in a panic because she relived it all.  'Who am I kidding?' she thought to herself, annoyed, 'I know exactly how long it's been.  Four months.  More than that, even.'  Tears trickled down the side of her nose as she remembered kissing him that last time.  She licked away some tears that crossed her lips.  Salty.  Like then.  She had never expected to see him again.  But she'd been wrong.  About a lot of things.  Phoebe reached for a tissue and wiped her nose before she rubbed her eyes again.

Phoebe needed to get out of the house.  She felt it closing in on her.  If she was quiet enough, she could sneak out before her sisters were up to notice she was gone.  Paige never woke up before ten on a Saturday, especially when she'd been out clubbing the night before.  And Piper had been staying in bed as long as possible to avoid the right-out-of-bed nauseous feeling she'd been suffering from these past few months.  'Maybe a run would help,' she considered.  Her sisters wouldn't think twice if she announced she'd been out jogging and it might actually help her focus on how to deal with whatever was bothering her.  Or who.  Cole.  For so long she'd been able to push thoughts of their life together deep down inside.  She focused on work and saving innocents.  On Piper's new baby.  On anything but him.  And it worked.  During the day at least.  At night…Well, night was a different story.  'And it's been getting worse,' she realized, "and I just wish I knew why."  

Phoebe tossed back her covers and sat up again.  She stretched slightly before she rose from bed and carefully stepped to the other side of the room to her dresser.  Phoebe opened the drawers and pulled out various essentials and, just as carefully, crossed back to her vanity and sat down.  

She stared at her tired and pale reflection as she pulled her hair back in a ponytail.  'The way I look,' she contemplated, 'I couldn't attract a new guy if I even wanted to.'  She reached for the nearby, face-down, silver picture frame and turned it over.  It was one of her favorites of herself and Cole from the early days in their relationship, back before she'd learned the truth about Belthazor.  Prue had never admitted to Phoebe when she had taken the candid shot of them.  'Probably on one of her less suspicious days….We were so innocent then,' Phoebe thought with a wry laugh.  'If we had only known what we were in for……' Phoebe traced Cole's face and whispered, "Please stop haunting me."  She began to remove the frame's backing to finally remove the picture but a thud from the floor above startled her and caused her to drop the frame into her lap.

******     ******     ******     ******

            "Piper?" Phoebe asked in concern as she entered the attic.  "Are you all right?"

"Yeah," Piper answered distractedly as she knelt in front the trunk she had just opened, "I'm fine.  Just lost my grip on the box." 

"Box? Piper, that's a massive trunk!" Phoebe exclaimed as she stared at her disheveled older sister.  "What do you think you're doing moving furniture by yourself? And do you know what time it is?"

            Piper stopped lifting out stacks of clothing and knick-knacks and finally looked up at her annoyed and agitated, pajama-clad sister.  "I'm sorry, honey, I couldn't sleep and tried to be quiet."

            Phoebe realized Piper was fine and waved her off as she sleepily dropped onto the sofa opposite Piper.  "'Sokay, it's not really that early and I guess I wasn't gonna fall back asleep."  Phoebe watched Piper smile to herself as she set aside a yellow blanket.  "So, what're you doin' up, anyway?" Phoebe asked curiously. "No more morning sickness?"

            Piper immediately put her hand to her mouth and grimaced.  "Please, don't mention the word, I don't want to tempt fate.  I thought I was finally leaving that unpleasant phase behind."  Phoebe smiled and Piper swallowed before she explained, "I just wanted to find some of our baby things that Mom and Grams had packed away. I know I've got plenty of time 'til the baby comes but I wasn't hungry and…I don't know, feeling sentimental.  Hormones, I guess."  She caught Phoebe yawning and added, "Speaking of time, what're you doing up? You went to sleep pretty late last night."

            Phoebe looked back at her in surprise.  "How do you know?  You and Leo both turned in early."

            "Bathroom break," Piper answered with a sheepish smile, "and from what I've read, I may never leave this phase."  But her smile quickly faded and she added, "I heard your TV."

Phoebe looked down at the pillow she grabbed.  "Sorry, I didn't think I had it so loud."

Piper shook her head, "You didn't.  I saw the glow from under the door and was going to check on you when I heard…How many times did you watch it?"  Phoebe didn't answer and, instead, toyed with the pillow's fringes.  Piper sadly commented, "Phoebe, it's not healthy to watch that video over and over again."

            "It's not that long," Phoebe shrugged.

            "That's not the point," Piper countered, "and you know it.  Please, put it away with the rest of the stuff.  It's only hurting you when you keep it lying around where you can see it."  Phoebe glared at her and Piper apologized, "Honey, please, you've been moving on so well, I don't want this to set you back."

            "It was a beautiful ceremony, wasn't it?" Phoebe quietly asked.  "I mean those few minutes, from when I walked down 'til when the Lazarus demon attacked, it was beautiful, wasn't it?"

            Piper looked at her sister and quickly went to Phoebe's side.  Piper pulled Phoebe into a hug and stroked her hair as she rested her head against Piper's shoulder.  "Of course it was, sweetie, of course it was….What is it, Phoebe? Did something happen that set you off last night?"  Phoebe shook her head and Piper gently told her, "You know you can talk to me, don't you? You don't have to keep this all inside."

            Phoebe nodded but pulled back.  "But there's nothing to talk about…Look, why don't I get dressed and then I can help you find whatever you're looking for."

            "Phoebe, I know you're still hurting.  Talk to me, please," Piper requested as Phoebe stood.  "Are you having that nightmare again? The one you had after…well, after? Is it Cole? Did you see him again?"

            "I'm fine, Piper," Phoebe declared as she ignored her sister's questions.  "I'm moving on with my life and I'm fine."

            "Who's fine?" Paige sleepily asked as she entered the attic.

            "I'm fine," Phoebe repeated as she passed Paige.  

"You're not fine," Piper argued.

"Look," Phoebe told Piper, "I'll be right back and we can search together."

            "Search for what?" Paige asked with a yawn as she glanced from the trunk to each of her sisters.  "What's going on, guys?" she asked as Phoebe stopped in the doorway.

            "Nothing," Phoebe gently answered.  "Piper's just practicing some of her maternal instincts."

            "Did I wake you, too?" Piper groaned as she ignored Phoebe's tease.  "I knew I should've waited for Leo's help and done this later when you were all out."

            "Help with what? Where's Leo?" Paige asked with growing interest as she knelt in front of the trunk.  Piper glanced up towards the ceiling and Paige added, "Oh, anything we should be worried abou-- Hey, a Spirograph!"

            Phoebe turned around, smiled slightly to Piper and then turned back and explained to Paige, "That was Prue's.  She was the creative one.  Me? It drove me crazy that the little discs never stayed down in the grooves.  I used to pound them down so Grams took it away from me because she was afraid I'd break it.  Prue must've packed it away when she "outgrew" it."

            "Yeah, it took me a while to get the hang of it but I had so much fun with it," Paige recalled. "My mom bought it for me when I was six.  She told my dad she wanted to encourage my artistic ability.  Our fridge was Spirograph-City for two days before my dad had to take it away from me for a month."  Phoebe and Piper laughed pleasantly along with Paige and Paige touched the box fondly and added, "I've still got my set, too.  And still in working order…well, most of the pieces, anyway."  

            Piper quickly glanced to Phoebe, who smiled back with a nod, and then went over and knelt next to Paige.  She lifted out the box and handed it to Paige.  "Here."  Paige tried to protest but Piper insisted.  "One, it'll be a long time 'til this little girl here is ready for it," Piper said as she patted her slightly bulging abdomen, "so you can borrow it 'til then and, two, you'd actually appreciate it and I think, no, I know, Prue would want you to have it."

Paige choked up and accepted the box and carefully hugged her sister.  "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Piper answered with a smile.  Piper noticed Phoebe once again heading towards the door and stopped her.  "Phoebe…"

Phoebe turned around and practically whined, "I just wanna get dressed, Piper."

Piper looked skeptically at her but suggested instead, "How 'bout I whip up some sister favorites and we have a sister-bonding-breakfast."

"Sounds yummy," Paige smiled as she stood up and held the toy.  "I'll be down in a couple of minutes to help."

"Sounds like fun," Phoebe grinned broadly, "Be there in a few…"

Phoebe had barely left the attic when Paige quickly turned to Piper and asked, "Okay, what's wrong with Phoebe?"

"I'm not sure," Piper answered with concern.  "She won't talk to me.  Why do you ask?"

"I saw her wisdom teeth," Paige answered as she stood up and headed towards the doorway.

"So?" Piper asked in confusion.

"So it means she was lying," Paige commented as she left Piper alone in the attic.  

Piper stared at the empty doorway and sighed.  Cole was involved.  She was sure of it but unless Phoebe…Piper sighed again.  She'd have to try talking again with Phoebe and somehow help her baby sister deal with whatever was going on.  Piper gripped the edges of the trunk to push herself up but, as she did, she noticed a folded piece of parchment on top of the pile of clothing that had been hidden by the Spirograph box.  She picked it up and gasped when she recognized her sister's handwriting.  "Guys!" she yelled as she scrambled to her feet.  Her hand trembled as it clenched the parchment and she again shouted, "Guys, get back up here!  Hurry!"

**********          **********          **********

            Phoebe tried to catch her breath as she shut the door to her room behind her.  She leaned against it for a moment, closed her eyes and promised herself she wouldn't cry.  Instead, she opened her eyes, went over to her bed, and grabbed the pile of clothing.  But she froze when, from the corner of her eye, she caught lurking a dark figure.  She dropped the clothing and quickly spun around to face the figure but, before she could react offensively, she was hit by something that felt like a bolt of intense heat.  She pressed her hand to her chest in pain as she crumpled to the floor.

            "It's done," the figure spoke as it stepped into her view.  "Finally."

            Phoebe lay curled in a fetal position in pain as her whole body uncontrollably trembled.  She couldn't catch her breath much less move to defend herself from his approach.  But he didn't attack again.  He stood over her.  She looked up and figured him for a white human male in his thirties.  Tall and solidly built and dressed in an all-black suit.  But it was his eyes that scared her even more than her inability to defend herself.  His irises were pitch black with bright red pupils.  For a wild moment, she thought of that red-eye side-effect that too often appeared in photos she'd had developed.  Truly a demon's eyes.

            "Hurts, doesn't it, witch," he sneered down at her.  "No matter, it'll all be over in minutes."

            "Who?" Phoebe struggled to speak the word.

            "Me?" he laughed.  "I would have told you anyway but I am pleased you asked for yourself.  I know I'd want to know the name of anyone who dared kill me."  Phoebe grunted in pain and he laughed.  "I, witch, am Drezdor; the one who will forever be known as having done what no demon nor Source could ever do.  I am the one who destroyed the Charmed Ones."

            "W.w..why?" she asked as a fresh wave of pain ran through her and she held herself tighter.

            "Because the Charmed Ones have been a thorn in the side of the Underworld for ages.  First from prophecy and then from reality," he complained.  "And, you, you're the reason for the chaos that exists now.  You turned one of the most respected and powerful demons the Underworld had seen in ages into a sniveling, weak, pathetic, human.  Because of you, not only were two Sources vanquished but the magical world lost its most powerful future leader.  All because of you," he spit at her.  "But it's over now.  Forever."

            "N…never!" Phoebe grunted as she struggled against the pain.  She was barely able to prop herself up on one elbow.  "W…won't let you.  The…Power…of Three --"

            "No longer exists," Drezdor barked.  "Haven't you understood a thing I've said? Nothing can save you," he taunted.  "My poison's already working its way through your system.  And there is no antidote.  I know because I've spent the past three years perfecting it to make sure no last minute spell could save you."  He smiled viciously as Phoebe's elbow gave way and she collapsed again and moaned in agony.  "With your death," he commented in great satisfaction, "the Charmed Ones will be no more and I will have earned my place as the new Source.   No one will be able to challenge me."

            "Wrong," Phoebe weakly protested as he stepped back from her.  

            "Greetings to that last failure of a Source, your mate, when you meet him in hell," Drezdor spat as he disappeared in a dark cloud of smoke.

            Phoebe coughed and moaned in pain.  "Piper!  Paige!" she shouted but her voice was a mere whisper.  "Leo?" Her body felt like it was on fire and she moaned again.   "Cole…" she desperately called.

            Everything was growing fuzzy and Phoebe couldn't keep her eyes open any longer.  'He doesn't know about Melinda,' she thought of Drezdor.  'But what if Melinda isn't enough to reconstitute the Charmed Ones? Why wouldn't the Angel of Destiny have warned us? It couldn't have all been for nothing.'  

            Phoebe felt herself slipping away and struggled to open her eyes again.  Tears of pain were streaming down her cheeks and she no longer had the energy to even desire to wipe them away.  She was dying and she knew it.  Her breath grew short and choppy but, amazingly, she suddenly no longer felt the hot, burning, sensations that had been coursing through her.  Instead, she felt cool.  Her eyes darted around her room looking for some sort of inspiration but her vision was clouded.  She didn't have much time left and she barely even caught the glint of the silver frame she'd looked at earlier.  A simple spell might work.  It was her last chance and she desperately tried to focus on the words as she whispered them,

_            "Magic forces burning bright,_

_            Grant…my last request and…set things right."___

            Spent from her effort, Phoebe closed her eyes and gave in to the cold and the darkness.  Her last conscious thought was of him.  'Cole…'

**********          **********          **********


	2. Chapter 2

            Phoebe thought she heard her name being called.  Far away in the distance.  She no longer felt cold.  She was actually warm.  Not the burning feeling but…warm.  She tried to move but she was caught in something and she weakly tried to struggle against it.  She opened her eyes and gasped when she saw his face hovering above hers.  "Cole," she whispered in surprise.  "You're here."

"Phoebe?" he asked in low voice full of worry and concern.  "Are you all right?"

"Cole?" she asked in a daze as she pushed off his black cloak that had been covering her.  "Where?" she asked as she tried to look past him.  "The Underworld?"  She tried to sit up but grew dizzy and he quickly held her to steady her.  "How?" she asked him as she grabbed his shirt in her fists and clenched it tightly.

Concerned, Cole pulled her closely to him and hoped she could stop trembling.  "That really was some potion," he teased as he lightly kissed her temple.

"Potion?" Phoebe asked as she looked at him in confusion.  He brushed some strands of hair from her face and she brought up her hand and stopped him.  She stared at their hands but froze at the sight of the ends of her hair.  Suddenly, she realized what was wrong with this picture.  Her hair was long.  And streaked with blond.  She gasped in shock as she looked wildly around her at the chamber and stammered, "Cole, what…what happened?"

"You must've fainted," Cole replied as he once again held her tightly to him.  "I came back here and found you lying on the floor.  It was the potion, I guess.  You took a big risk coming here, Phoebe," He reminded her as he quickly pulled her to her feet.  He steadied her as he told her, "But now I've got to get you out of here before the Source --"

"Source?" Phoebe interrupted as she looked down at herself and at what she was wearing and grabbed for Cole in shock.  "Cole, what's today's date?"

"The date?" Cole repeated.  "Phoebe, what are you --"

"Please," Phoebe interrupted in a quiet voice, "please, just tell me."

Cole sighed, "May seventeenth."

"Two thousand one?" Phoebe requested in a hopeful tone.  Cole nodded and she sagged slightly.  Cole quickly steadied her as she mumbled, "The spell…Ohmigod, Cole…Prue…She's…" Phoebe could no longer speak as she looked at him with tears spilling from her eyes.  Her whole body trembled even with his support.

"What about Prue?" Cole asked in concern as he tried to calm her. 

"She's still alive," Phoebe tearfully replied with a smile.  Suddenly, she threw her arms around him and repeated, "She's still alive!"

"What are you talking about?" Cole wondered as he returned her embrace.  "What happened?"

"Shax," Phoebe answered as she tried to catch her breath.

"Shax?" Cole repeated as he pushed her back slightly.  "Are you sure?"  He saw the look of sincerity on Phoebe's face and said, "Phoebe, he's one of the Source's personal assassins.  I have to get you out of here.  There's something really big going on.  That's what I came to tell you.  Shax or not, the Source is here.  Now."

Phoebe shrugged off his support, took a deep breath, and told him, "I need you to go to him.  Tell him I want to make a deal."

Cole stepped back in shock.  "A deal? Are you out of your mind?"  He shook his head as he grabbed for her hand.  "I'm getting you out of here."

"No," Phoebe insisted as she resisted his touch.  "I have to save her.  Don't you understand? That's what I came back to do!"

"Back?" Cole muttered, "Phoebe you're not thinking clearly.  The potion…Maybe when I get you back, you'll feel --"  The blue orb lights interrupted Cole and he uttered, "Leo? What the hell are you doing here?"

Leo acknowledged Cole but spoke to Phoebe.  "Your sisters have been exposed as witches.  All hell is breaking loose."  He turned to Cole.  "Tempus is our only chance.  To save her sisters and the magical world."

Cole shook his head in disbelief.  "You're crazy.  Both of you.  The Source won't make any deals."

"He will.  Go to him, Cole," Phoebe quietly ordered.  "Offer the deal."

"What deal?" Cole asked in exasperation.

"Me for Tempus's assistance," Phoebe stated.

"What?!" Cole and Leo shouted together.

"Leo," Phoebe turned to him, "go back and tell them not to do anything.  I mean it.  Tell them to stay in the attic.  They'll be safe there.  Tell them not to do anything or speak to anyone until I get there." Leo didn't answer and she insisted, "Promise me, Leo." Leo glanced at Cole but reluctantly nodded to Phoebe and orbed out.  Phoebe then focused on Cole and told him, "I know what I'm doing.  He'll see you.  Tell him it's your idea.  Tell him he'll have my loyalty if he allows you to warn my sisters.  He's here because of what happened up there.  Tempus is his only chance and he knows it.  "

"Phoebe, you --" Cole began but Phoebe silenced him with a kiss.

"Please," she begged, "please, just go."  Cole looked at her once more and left without saying anything.  "Please, God, please let this work," she whispered when she was suddenly alone.

**********          **********          **********

            "Phoebe," Cole greeted as he found her pacing the floor of the chamber.  She turned and waited expectantly for his news.  "He agreed," Cole told her.

            Phoebe sighed in relief.  "Okay," she said to herself.  She looked back at Cole and began, "Okay, it's a trap.  The Source is gonna send demons to detain you and kill me."

"Not that I don't believe you, but how do you know for sure?" Cole asked.

"The Source doesn't handle betrayal well," Phoebe answered.  "He'll have his revenge against you and he'll have destroyed the Charmed Ones as well.  But I…we won't let that happen so I need you to shimmer me back home now."

            "Phoebe, I --" Cole started to say when Leo suddenly orbed in between them.

            Phoebe couldn't mistake the tears in Leo's eyes and whispered, "Piper?"

            Leo nodded and soberly told her, "I don't have a right to ask you to do this but, Phoebe, I don't think we have any choice if we want to save them."

            Phoebe quickly hugged her brother-in-law.  "Don't worry, Leo.  Tempus will reset time and Piper will be fine.  I promise."

            Cole stepped forward, "You're forgetting about the Source.  You made a deal with him.  Like you said, he doesn't take betrayal lightly.  He will come after you in ways you can't possibly imagine."

            Phoebe frowned and pulled away from Leo.  "To hell with the Source.  We vanquished him before, we'll do it again."

            "What the hell are you talking about?" Cole demanded.  "We don't have much time, Phoebe.  Tell me what's going on.  Is this all from a premonition? What do you know about the future?"

            "I'm saving all of us," Phoebe answered simply, "that's all.  Now, let's get back to the manor before the Source's guards come to stop us from warning my sisters."

            An energy ball suddenly whizzed past Phoebe's head and the trio scattered as demons charged into the chamber.  

            "Leo! Get her out of here!" Cole shouted as he threw an energy ball and destroyed one of the attackers.

            "Cole, no!" Phoebe yelled as Leo's orb took her away.

**********          **********          **********

            Phoebe found herself in the attic with Leo.  "Quick, Leo, go downstairs and check on my sisters."

"What about you?" Leo asked.

Phoebe hesitated for just a moment as her mind raced through different plans of what she needed to accomplish.  "A spell," she answered, more to herself than to him.  "I've gotta write a spell."

"Okay, but hurry up," Leo suggested as he left her in the attic.

"This's probably against more than a couple of rules," Phoebe muttered as she tore a blank page from the back of the Book of Shadows, "but, God knows, the Charmed Ones have broken 'em before and lived to tell about it."  She grabbed a pen and quickly began to write.

**********          **********          **********


	3. Chapter 3

"Phoebe!" Prue shouted as Phoebe finally descended the stairs in a rush.

            Stunned to both hear and see her big sister, Phoebe froze in the midst of the whirlwind and whispered, "Prue…"

            "Dammit, Phoebe, behind you!" Prue shouted as she shoved her sister out of the way and waved her arm to fling a side chair at Shax.

            Phoebe scrambled to her feet.  "Prue, Piper, get the doctor out of here!"  Without waiting for a response, she leapt at Shax.  As she did, she shouted above the storm, 

_"Evil wind that blows, _

_That which forms below,_

_No longer may you dwell,_

_Death takes you with this spell."_

Shax staggered back but, with a wave of his arm and a blast of energy, he let out a roar and still sent Phoebe flying through the air.  

Phoebe crashed through the banister and, after hitting the wall, landed in a heap in the middle of the staircase. 

"Phoebe!" Prue screamed as she started for her sister's side.

Leo immediately orbed to Phoebe's side and gasped at the sight of the piece of railing that was protruding from her stomach.  She moaned in pain as he tried to pull out the wooden stake.  "No," she weakly protested, "them first."

"What do you me--" Leo began to ask when Shax suddenly attacked Prue.  Leo looked just in time to see Piper and the doctor each attacked in quick succession.  "Piper!"

An energy ball hit Shax from behind and he turned to find Cole, battered and bruised, rapidly firing at him.  Shax glanced back at his victims and ignored Cole's efforts by vanishing in a whirlwind.

"Phoebe!" Cole shouted when he looked up and saw Leo kneeling by Phoebe's side.

"Save her," Phoebe begged, "them….save them."

"Phoebe, I…" Leo tried to at least heal her head wound but Phoebe shook her head in resistance.

"Please," she whispered.  "Don't…"

Leo stared deeply into her eyes and promised, "I'll be right back."  He orbed from her side to the still figures of his wife and sister-in-law.  He frowned in concentration as he lay one hand over each and began to heal them.

Cole, meanwhile, had shimmered to Phoebe's side just as Leo orbed away.  He crouched down and stared at her in shock as he took in her injuries.  She was bleeding from a long gash on her forehead and her eyes were closed.  And, the wooden stake notwithstanding, she was crumpled in an odd, unnatural, position.  He was no doctor but even he knew it wasn't good.  "Phoebe," he whispered as he hesitantly brushed some hair away from her head wound.

Phoebe moaned softly and slowly opened her eyes.  "Cole," she whispered with an attempt to smile.

"Leo!" Cole shouted as he sank down next to Phoebe.

"C'mon," Leo encouraged the sisters as he bent over them, "you can do it."  He tried to forget the ominous tone of Cole's shout.

"I love you," Phoebe weakly told Cole, "always will…Believe in you…Don't ever forget."

"I won't," Cole promised as he shook his head and quickly gathered Phoebe in his arms.  "Leo!" he angrily yelled.  "We're running out of time!"

"Can't move," Phoebe whispered, "can't feel…must be…paralyzed…things…getting fuzzy."

"Stay with me," Cole quietly pleaded as he pressed his hand over her heart to assure himself of its beating.

"Always," she whispered with as much of a smile as she could manage.

"Dammit, that's not what I mean," Cole choked, "and you know it."

"I know," Phoebe weakly agreed, "but it's okay."

"How can you say that?" Cole asked, frustrated, as he adjusted her position and held her tighter.

"Sorry," Phoebe told him in a hushed tone.

"For what?" he asked before he yelled again, "LEO!"

"I'm trying," Leo muttered as his hands continued to glow over his charges.

"Wasn't as…supportive…as I…should've been," Phoebe struggled to say.  "But I…" Phoebe's voice faded out as she closed her eyes.

"You, what?" Cole repeated as he lightly shook her.  "Phoebe, stay with me.  You, what?"

After a moment, Phoebe slowly opened her eyes.  "The spell….I…saved us…Baby, we're…safe…free."

"I don't understand," Cole admitted as she softly moaned.  "Don't die on me, Phoebe.  Stay with me…Just a little bit longer.  Leo will be right here.  You'll be fine.  Just hang on.  Stay with me," Cole rambled in an uncharacteristically scared tone.

"I will," Phoebe whispered with a slight smile, "I'll wait…for you…promise."

"No," Cole begged.  "Fight it, Phoebe…You can do it.  Just a little bit longer."  He watched helplessly as her eyelids closed.  "Phoebe, please…"

"Drezdor," Phoebe whispered with a grimace of pain.

Confused, Cole asked, "What about him?"

"He's the…the one…" Phoebe's voice kept fading as she opened her eyes.  It was harder to focus.  "Killed me."

"No, honey," Cole corrected her, "Drezdor's somewhere across the globe on some secret quest of his.  Shax did this."

"Drezdor," she weakly insisted.

Cole had no idea what she was talking about but he still trusted her.  With his life.  And so, he promised, "I'll get him for you, Phoebe.  I swear."

Phoebe tried to nod but didn't have the energy.  Her eyes fell shut and she murmured something unintelligible, unsure herself of what she had meant to say.  She desperately tried to concentrate because she wanted Cole to know the truth.  That she changed history.  She still died but Prue was alive and the Charmed Ones still existed.  "Paige," she whispered. 

"What, Phoebe?"  Cole could barely hear her now.  "Phoebe, stay with me….LEO!!"

"Another minute!" Leo anxiously yelled back as both sisters finally began to stir.

"Finish them later," Cole demanded.  "Phoebe needs you now!"  He focused again on Phoebe and told her, "Phoebe, they'll be all right.  Your sisters.  They'll be fine.  They need you.  Hang on.  Leo's almost here."

Phoebe struggled to open her eyes.  Her eyelids fluttered as she whispered, "Please."

"What?" Cole asked.  "Anything, Phoebe.  What?"

Tears streamed down her cheeks and she could barely form the words, "Kiss me…."

Cole didn't bother to wipe away the tears that were brimming in his eyes.  He knew Leo wouldn't be in time.  As he supported Phoebe against him with one arm, he caressed her face with his other hand.  "I love you, Phoebe," he told her in a choked voice.  "Thank you for making me feel alive.  Thank you for loving me," he whispered as he bent his head and kissed her tenderly on the lips.  

Cole felt it happen.  He knew the exact moment when Phoebe had slipped away. He pressed his lips harder against hers and shook as he held her.  He slowly pulled away and gently wiped away some of her remaining tears.  Or were they his? He stared lovingly at her still face and ignored the noises he now heard from the other room.

"Phoebe?" Piper faintly called.

Cole stiffened but still held Phoebe's body in his arms and didn't immediately look away from her.  Slowly, he turned his head and watched as Leo approached with the unsteady sisters.  Leo started to dart up the stairs but Cole stopped him with a quiet, "It's too late."

            Piper turned to Leo, "What's he mean?"

            "No," Prue shakily whispered as Cole's words sank in.

            "I'm so sorry," Leo apologized as he hung his head.  "She wouldn't let me touch her.  She wanted me to save you both first."

            "Leo!" Piper shouted as she grabbed at Leo's shirt and shoved him.  "Do something!"

            "He can't," Prue told her sister as she stared at Cole holding her other sister.  Her baby sister.

            "Leo!" Piper's pleaded as Leo wrapped his arms around her.  "Please!"

            "Leo can't heal the dead!" Cole shouted to all of them in annoyance.  But he quickly looked down at Phoebe and caressed her face as he repeated in a whisper, "He can't heal the dead."

**********          **********          **********


	4. Chapter 4

****

Saturday, September 14, 2002

Piper picked up the folded parchment and gasped when she recognized her sister's handwriting. "Guys!" she yelled as she scrambled to her feet. Her hand trembled as it clenched the parchment and she again shouted, "Guys, get back up here! Hurry!"

She impatiently paced until Paige entered the attic. "It's about time."

"I barely got down the stairs," Paige complained, "when you yelled. What's going on?"

"Where is she?" Piper asked impatiently as she looked past Paige towards the doorway.

"I'm right here," Prue announced as she joined her sisters. She saw the look on Piper's face and the way Piper's hand was shaking. "Piper? Honey, what is it? Is it the baby?"

"No," Piper answered as she shook her head. She held out the parchment to Prue who took it and looked at it.

"What is it?" Prue asked as she still looked at Piper.

"It was in the trunk," Piper replied. "Underneath the Spirograph box that you just gave Paige."

"So?" Paige wondered aloud.

Prue finally looked down at the writing on the parchment and answered, "It's from Phoebe. For us."

"What do you mean?" Paige asked as she reached for it.

Prue handed it to her and quietly said, "It's addressed to three of us."

Paige stared at the handwriting and wondered, "How'd she know about me? I never got to meet her."

Piper looked at Prue and tearfully asked, "Do you think she had a premonition? That she knew what was going to happen?"

"She would've said something," Prue assured Piper as she shook her head.

"Would she?" Paige murmured before the three sisters fell silent.

Paige stared at the page and finally handed it back to Prue. "You're oldest. You should read it first."

Prue glanced to Piper who nodded her approval. Prue unfolded the page and shrugged in confusion as she told her sisters, "It's just a spell."

Paige quickly set candles in a circle and lit them all. She stepped back and Piper and Prue moved in closer to her. Prue held the paper in front of them and the three chanted,

__

"Magic forces burning bright,

Grant our wish as we seek the truth and light."

A bright light suddenly filled the room and the sisters shielded their eyes as they turned away.

"Well, it's about time," Phoebe complained as she appeared in the center of the light.

"Phoebe?" Prue called out as she squinted into the light.

"Present," Phoebe responded as she waved her hand. The light surrounding her subsided and she stood in the circle and smiled broadly at her three sisters. "I've been waiting a long time."

"What? How?" Prue and Piper both uttered at the same time as they stared in shock at their transparent sister.

Phoebe laughed and faced her third, silent, sister. "Paige," she quietly greeted. She looked at them all and said, "I've missed all of you so much."

"But you never even met me," Paige shyly commented.

Phoebe shook her head and smiled, "I did. In another time."

"I don't understand," Paige said.

"That makes three of us," Piper told her ghostly sister.

"Why are you here?" Prue asked. "I mean how," she quickly added, "I mean, don't get me wrong, I've missed you so much, Phoebe, but we were told you weren't allowed to see us."

"I've missed you, too, Prue," Phoebe quietly said, "more than you'll ever know."

The three sisters held hands and remained silent while they watched Phoebe.

Piper finally broke the silence when she said, "Uh, Phoebe, the spell? Last yearDid you -- Did you know?"

"Know that I was going to die?" Phoebe asked for her. Piper slowly nodded and Phoebe admitted to her sisters, "Yes, I did." Prue and Piper gasped and Phoebe quickly added, "But it's a bit more complicated."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Piper tearfully asked.

"Tell us now," Paige requested. "That's why you're here, isn't it?"

"Straight to the point," Phoebe commented with a smile. "That's one of the things I always loved about you, Paige. Your straightforwardness." Phoebe turned and indicated to the sofa. "Maybe you guys should sit down." The trio exchanged glances and complied with Phoebe's request. As they sat, Phoebe began to pace within the circle. She tried to come up with the words she thought she'd already had down pat.

"Uh, Pheebs," Piper interrupted as she covered her mouth, "you're getting me dizzy and nauseous."

"Oh," Phoebe uttered as she turned back to her sisters, "sorry. I forgot about your morning sickness. It's justWell, for so long I had it all planned but, now that I'm actually here, I don't know where to begin."

"How about at the beginning?" Prue suggested.

"Well," Phoebe considered, "okay, then, but you have to promise, no interruptions." After her sisters nodded, Phoebe began, "Okay, II diedtoday." 

"What're you --" Prue immediately interrupted but broke off when Phoebe glared at her. She shrugged and apologized, "Sorry."

Phoebe's features softened and she smiled at her sister. "You always hated listening to me," she teased before she continued, "But this is the truth. I really died today. I was killed by a demon named Drezdor. He poisoned me in an attempt to destroy the Charmed Ones and become the new Source."

"What?" Prue reacted. "We vanquished the Source and I never heard of a Drezdor. No one's attacked today."

"I know," Phoebe commented in a placating voice, "as I wasI came up with a spell and" Phoebe looked down at the floor and suddenly remembered it all with clarity.

"A spell for what?" Piper asked as she encouraged her sister to continue.

"To set things right," Phoebe quietly answered. The three sisters exchanged glances before they turned to Phoebe for explanation. "I changed history," she whispered as she looked back at them.

"What do you mean?" Prue asked in a shaky voice.

Phoebe locked eyes with her big sister and told her, "I wasn't the one Shax killed last year."

Piper grabbed Prue's hand and asked her younger sister, "What are you talking about?"

"I had gone down with my potion to save Cole," Phoebe calmly recalled, "and found out that you had been exposed to the world as witches." Prue and Piper exchanged glances and nodded their confirmation to Phoebe. "But, Piper, you were killed. So I made a deal with the Source. My loyalty for Tempus's power to reset time. But the Source had no intention of letting me live."

"He sent Shax after you," Paige concluded.

Phoebe shook her head. "Shax came after them. The Source had other plans for me. But he didn't know I knew about his plans because I'd already lived it." She saw the looks of confusion on her sisters' faces and explained, "The deal was that Cole would warn you that you were in danger and prevent you from being hurt. But the Source sent a batch of demons to distract Cole." Phoebe's face suddenly grew sad and her voice trembled as she continued, "By the time we got back here, it wastoo late." She looked at Prue and said, "You were gone." 

Piper rested her head on Prue's shoulder as Prue asked in a choked voice, "What happened next?"

Phoebe sighed and summed it up for her sisters, "We met Paige at yourfuneral. Vanquished Shax. Confronted the Source. Andgot on with our lives."

"That's exactly what happened," Paige confirmed in a whisper.

Phoebe nodded, "A lot of what you guys went through is what happened with me." She smiled at Paige, "Like your body-swapping backfire."

"Don't bring that up," Prue groaned, "I was sucking on lollipops for a week after."

"Or being shrunk to three inches," Phoebe offered. "Kinda cool that I did share so much with you guysin a way."

"It's not the same, though," Piper quietly said.

"No, it's not, honey," Phoebe tried to comfort her, "believe me, I know." She looked at her unhappy sisters and smiled, "It's not so bad, you know. I'm at peace. Something I hadn't had for a while beforewell, before Drezdor changed everything."

"Why?" Prue asked. "What happened to you?"

"Other than marrying the love of my life and becoming the Queen of all Evil?" Phoebe asked in return with a mock laugh.

"What?" Piper asked in a scared tone.

"It doesn't matter," Phoebe shook her head with a smile, "not anymore."

"Phoebe," Prue cautiously said, "about Cole. I mean, you were talking about him, weren't you?"

"Of course, I was," Phoebe answered.

Piper looked downcast and said, "Then there's something you should know. About ColeSweetie, he was vanquished a couple of months ago."

"A woman named Emma wanted revenge on Belthazor for killing her fiancé," Paige explained. "She threw the potion at him."

"But you should know," Prue quickly continued, "that you were right about him. In the end, he was helping us. He was good."

"Well, now, maybe hell has frozen over," Cole's voice suddenly announced.

Phoebe rolled her eyes and turned around just as Cole appeared in the circle behind her. "I thought you were Down Under."

Cole shrugged and grinned, "Finished early."

"Always the efficient one," Phoebe proudly stated with a smile.

"Makes me good at what I do," he shrugged with a wink.

"What're you doing here?" Prue interrupted and demanded of Cole.

Cole sighed, "And here I thought you changed your opinion of me." He turned to Phoebe and told her, "Got a job for us."

"Hmmm, friendly kind," Phoebe asked, intrigued, as she gazed back at him, "or nasty kind."

"Maybe a little of both," he promised as he bent his head closer towards hers. But he suddenly pointed his finger at her and admonished, "And what do you think you're doing here? You know they won't like it."

"They," Phoebe commented with a grin, "won't know unless someone tells them."

Cole considered her words. "Wellmaybe if someone made it worth my while to keep a secret." 

"Maybe someone will," Phoebe teased.

"Don't you two ever stop," Prue groaned.

"Not even death can stop love," Phoebe answered distractedly as she led Cole out of the circle. They instantly became solid and Phoebe wasted no time in bringing Cole's lips to hers. 

After a few moments of watching the pair hungrily go at each other, Paige finally waved her hand in disgust, "All right, get a room, you two."

Phoebe and Cole slightly pulled away from each other and, as Phoebe leaned back against him and held his arms that were wrapped around her, she turned to her sisters in embarrassment. "Sorry, we don't go solid that often."

"Been too long," Cole whispered in her ear, "but that can change with this job." He gave her rear a pinch and smiled at her reaction.

"I love you," she growled as she turned around and pulled him close. But her sisters' coughs interrupted just as she was about to kiss him and she bent her head in embarrassment.

He smiled, kissed the top of her head, and told her, "We'll pick this up later."

"Promises, promises," she grinned knowingly. 

"Don't be too long," he warned.

She quickly kissed him again and assured him, "I'll be right there."

Cole acknowledged her sisters with a nod, winked at Phoebe, stepped into the circle and disappeared in a white light.

Phoebe watched him vanish and turned back to her sisters with a smile still on her face. She saw them waiting expectantly and asked, "What?"

"So, what are you?" Paige asked. "Guardian angels?"

"Is it just me or is there something weird about saying Cole and angelin the same sentence?" Prue muttered. 

Phoebe laughed pleasantly. "People change," she told her sisters, "even former demonsWe're not guardian angels, exactly. I mean we are ghosts and we --"

"Like Frankie and Lulu?" Piper asked in a worried tone.

"Well, we haven't held up any stores," Phoebe laughed, "but"

"But what?" Prue asked.

"We're ghosts," Phoebe shrugged, "and sometimes we have to be a littleum, convincing, for some of our"charges."" She looked at her sisters' faces and quickly said, "Don't worry. We're good. Really. It's just that sometimes you have to get a littleto convince certain people to move in the right direction. It's okay, we have their approval...most of the time, anyway. Our methods can be, well, a little unorthodox at times." 

"You wanna know what I wanna know?" asked Piper with growing annoyance. "Why the hell didn't Leo say something? You've been gone for over a year! Do you have any idea what we went through? How much we missed you?"

Phoebe quickly hugged her sister, "I love you, Piper, and I've missed you so much." Phoebe slowly pulled back and spoke to all her sisters, "Cole and I may not be the most perfect angels they'd like but we do stick to the major rules. WeI, wasn't allowed to see you. I may have found peace but I still had to adjust to beingwell, being dead. I needed time. You needed time."

"What about this Drezdor?" Prue asked. "He hasn't attacked today but if our history is so much like yours"

Phoebe shook her head, "Don't worry about him. Cole took care of him not long after thefuneral."

"Good," Prue said. "I hope it was as painful as he deserved."

"I don't think you'll have to worry that," Phoebe quietly commented. "Cole was extremelyangry."

The sisters fell silent until Paige asked, "So, is it okay now? Can we just call you whenever we want?"

Phoebe hesitated and fidgeted slightly. "Not exactlyLast year, after my spell, well, I thought I might be breaking the rules in leaving you the note but, as it turns out, they would've allowed me to explain all of it to you butit's like this"

"What did you do?" Prue sighed when she recognized Phoebe's tone of voice.

"They," Phoebe began as she glanced upwards, "they put me onwell, I'm sort of on probation." Prue and Piper both groaned and shook their heads while Phoebe quickly continued, "It wasn't my fault. Honest. Well, it was my idea and I guess I sort of did get carried away but Cole and I, well, we'd been on separate jobs and hadn't seen each otherwith each other for -- "

"Phoebe!" Piper exclaimed in shock.

Phoebe continued her excuse and explained in a rush, "Piper, it had been a really long time. A really long time and we were in Venice and there was already this coupleand they had the honeymoon suite and --"

"Oooh, this's getting good," Paige laughed, "in a sick sort of way."

Phoebe glared at her but continued, "No one got hurtwell, that bite mark shouldn't count because it wasn't my fau--"

"No," Prue ordered as she placed her hands over her ears. "No more."

Phoebe stared sheepishly at her sisters, "Sorry." Her smile faded and she told them, "I, uh, I gotta go." Her sisters' smiles quickly faded and they couldn't speak. "I love you guys," Phoebe declared in a hoarse voice.

Prue reacted first and quickly pulled Phoebe into a hug. She held her baby sister tightly and whispered, "I love you, Phoebe, I always have."

"I know," Phoebe whispered in response as she squeezed Prue tight.

"Don't hog the ghost," Piper tried to tease but her tears spilled as Phoebe separated from Prue and stood before Piper. "Phoebe"

Phoebe hugged her hard and told her, "You're going to be a great mommy, Piper, and with any luck, she won't be another me."

"Don't even joke," Piper muttered as she pulled back from Phoebe. "I loved having you as my baby sister."

Phoebe caressed Piper's cheek and wiped away her tears before she turned to Paige. "C'mere, you," she requested as she pulled her younger sister close. "I know you don't know me but I had a year with you and I can't begin to tell you how proud I am of you."

"I wish it'd been different," Paige tearfully commented.

"Me too," Phoebe agreed as she pulled away. "But this is right. You. All of you. The Charmed Ones." Phoebe stepped back into the circle and promised them, "I'll always be with you."

"Phoebe, no, not yet" Piper cried as she stepped forward towards Phoebe.

Prue gently grabbed Piper's arm and stopped her. Paige stepped closer to her two sisters and the three held hands before Phoebe.

Phoebe smiled brightly and repeated, "I'll always be with you. Tell DadLeo. I love you all." Her sisters nodded tearfully and Phoebe, as the bright light enveloped her, bid them, "Blessed be." 

The sisters stood together and stared at the empty circle.

"Good-bye, Phoebe," Prue whispered.

Piper hugged Prue. "She's at peace. She's happy, Prue."

Prue nodded, "I know but she's stillgone."

Piper wiped away her big sister's tears, "Not really. Not in the way that really counts."

Prue held Piper's hand and reached for Paige's hand. As she gave each a squeeze, she nodded and stated, "You're right, Piper. Phoebe's still with us. And she always will be."

Just then, Paige's stomach rumbled and she brought her hand to it. "Sorry," she apologized in embarrassment as her older sisters giggled.

Prue tried to control herself and asked, "How bout a sister-bonding-breakfast full of our favorites?"

Piper smiled and agreed, "Suddenly, I'm famished."

The three linked arms and left the attic. 

None of the sisters saw the sparkling lights that twinkled brightly in the circle for a moment before they dispersed and faded in a breeze. 

And none of the current Charmed Ones heard the faint whisper,

__

"The Power of Three will set us freeI love you"

the end


End file.
